Tilt adjustable solar panel system

Abstract

An adjustable support for a panel is provided to allow control of the height and the tilt angle of the panel. The support includes a hollow cylindrical base having an outer diameter D1; a first hollow piston having an outer diameter D2 threadably engaged with the base; a second hollow piston having an outer diameter D3 threadably engaged with the first piston; a third piston having an outer diameter D4 threadably engaged with the second piston, such that D1>D2>D3>D4. A ball pod extends from the third piston and accommodates a ball attached to the panel. One or more stepper motors are provided, where each stepper motor is coupled to a bottom portion of a respective piston, and a rotor of each stepper motor is configured to rotate the corresponding piston, thereby causing the piston to move along a longitudinal axis of the support.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A tilt adjustable solar panel system, comprising:
 a tilt adjustable panel support comprising:
 a first and a second leg, each leg including:
 a hollow cylindrical base with a threaded base inner surface, the hollow cylindrical base having an outer diameter D 1 , an inner diameter D 2  and a first closed end; 
 a first stage including a first hollow cylindrical piston with a threaded first inner surface and a threaded first outer surface, the first hollow cylindrical piston having outer diameter D 2 , inner diameter D 3  and a second closed end; 
 a first rotor of a first stepper motor located within a void space of the second closed end; 
 a second stage including a second hollow cylindrical piston with a threaded second inner surface and a threaded second outer surface, the second hollow cylindrical piston having outer diameter D 3 , inner diameter D 4  and a third closed end; 
 a second rotor of a second stepper motor located within a void space of the third closed end; 
 a third stage including a third cylindrical piston with a threaded third outer surface, of outer diameter D 4  and a fourth closed end; 
 a third rotor of a third stepper motor located within a void space of the fourth closed end; 
 wherein the threaded third outer surface nests in the threaded second inner surface, the threaded second outer surface nests in the threaded first inner surface, and the threaded first outer surface nests in the threaded base inner surface; 
 a ball pod socket connected to an open end of the third cylindrical piston; 
 a ball connected to a mounting plate, wherein the ball is configured to be rotatably supported within the pod socket; and 
 wherein D 1 >D 2 >D 3 >D 4 , 
 
 
 a solar panel; and 
 a control unit; 
 wherein the solar panel is attached to the mounting plate of the first leg at a first location and to the mounting plate of the second leg at a second location; 
 wherein the stepper motors are configured to raise or lower each stage of the first leg and the second leg to adjust a tilt of the panel; 
 wherein the control unit includes program instructions, executable by processing circuitry, to cause the processing circuitry to provide drive signals to each stepper motor to adjust the tilt of the panel; and 
 wherein the program instructions further cause the processing circuitry to perform solar tracking and provide drive signals to each stepper motor to adjust the tilt of the solar panel based on the solar tracking. 
 
     
     
       2. The tilt adjustable solar panel system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each stepper motor includes a shaft; 
 each stepper motor has a circumference and a depth, and the void space of each of the first, second and third pistons has dimensions configured to secure its respective rotor and shaft within the void space. 
 
     
     
       3. The tilt adjustable solar panel system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first stepper motor is configured to rotate the first hollow cylindrical piston within the hollow cylindrical base to raise or lower the second stage; 
 the second stepper motor is configured to rotate the second hollow cylindrical piston within the first stage to raise or lower the third stage; and 
 the third stepper motor is configured to rotate the third cylindrical piston within the second stage to raise or lower the fourth stage. 
 
     
     
       4. The tilt adjustable solar panel system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first stator operatively connected to the first rotor; 
 a first stator plate connected to the first stator; 
 a second stator operatively connected to the second rotor; 
 a second stator plate connected to the second stator; 
 a third stator operatively connected to the third rotor; 
 a third stator plate connected to the third stator; 
 wherein each stator plate has four equally spaced arms extending in a plane of the stator plate; 
 wherein each of the hollow cylindrical base and each hollow cylindrical piston has four equally spaced grooves in its inner surface, wherein each groove is parallel to a height of each stage; 
 wherein an end of each arm of the first stator plate is configured to engage within a respective groove of the hollow cylindrical base; 
 wherein each end of each arm of the second stator plate is configured to engage within a respective groove of the first hollow cylindrical piston; and 
 wherein each end of each arm of the third stator plate is configured to engage within a respective groove of the second hollow cylindrical piston. 
 
     
     
       5. The tilt adjustable solar panel system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the base stage has a height H 1 ; 
 the second stage has a height H z ; 
 the third stage has a height H 3 ; 
 the fourth stage has a height H 4 ; 
 the ball pod plus ball has a height H 5 ; 
 H 1 >H 2 >H 3 >H 4 ; and 
 H 4 =H 5 . 
 
     
     
       6. The tilt adjustable solar panel system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the solar panel is a mirror attached to the mounting plate of the first leg at a first location and to the mounting plate of the second leg at a second location; and 
 the stepper motors are configured to raise or lower each stage of the first leg and the second leg to adjust a tilt of the mirror. 
 
     
     
       7. The tilt adjustable solar panel system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 D 2 =0.75D 1 ; 
 D 3 =0.5D 1 ; 
 D 4 =0.25D 1 ; 
 H 2 =5/6 H 1 ; 
 H 3 =2/3 H 1 ; and 
 H 4 =H 5 =0.5 H 1 .